[user104658]

The thing is this is nothing really new for Labour - I've been a "jobseeker" precisely once in my life for around 5-6 months (leaving Uni in early 20's, jobless and with a kid on the way lol) but I was just-so-lucky-enough that the timeframe coincided with the pre-2009 Labour govt.'s "New Deal" scheme. It was absolutely fkn horrible. An absolute shambles. I was absolutely ecstatic to get out of there and into any work (which at the time was weekend cashier at the bookies - boy did I not expect that to eventually be 10 years of my life ). Anyway my point really - I think some would take this as "evidence" that these things "encourage" people to get into work, but I only did "New Deal" for 3-4 weeks before I got out, and I was already slipping badly into hopelessness/frustration/not a good mental state. I consider myself lucky that I only got a "glimpse" of that world. If I'd been there for months? I reckon each passing week would have made it less likely that I'd be suitable for work, not more.